Looks Can Be Decieving
by Defiled Ladel
Summary: He looks identical to the boy who haunts and mocks me in my dreams. I cringe at the thought of the parasite again and try to put his face out of my head.


**A.N: Hello, this is my first dip into the HG fandom and I'm hoping you enjoy this little thing I wrote.**

**Enjoy**

* * *

"Relax, you're not there anymore" I murmur, standing and stretching my abused body and cracking my limbs before looking out for the person I was searching for.

The area I was resting in was recently acquired for the treatment of wounded soldiers whereas the civilian hospital was a ways out, and if my one reliable source of intelligence is correct than they should be here within the hour.

The uniform they gave me scratches at the seams and itches against my skin as I walk to the command tent for the answers I need.

The first face I see when I enter the packed and bustling tent is Paylor organizing more of the abandoned buildings into shelters for able bodied men and women to rest and find shelter in. She looks up from the stack of paper in front of her and locks eyes with me. She nods at me and mouths '5 minuets'. She knows my job here and has personally seen that my gear from 4 has made its way here.

I stand awkwardly in the tent watching people come and go for what feels like hours when I feel a tap at on my shoulder. I turn my head and see a small man looking back at me holding a duffel bag in one hand a cache case in the other. He silently hands me the bag and case and walks back to where he came from. I turn back to look at Paylor and return the nod and leave the tent and the suffocating noises that permeate it.

The cold air is a reprieve from the tent and as I walk away I see the lights from a incoming hovercraft in the sky. I look at my watch and smile. Paylor is nothing if nor punctual. I pick my pace up and walk to where the hovercrafts land with the hopes of getting away from here as fast and as seamlessly as possible.

The gentle kick up of dirt and gravel alerts me to the landing hovercraft and I'm already uncharacteristically giddy with excitement to get my questions answered.

The doors hiss open and the first thing I'm greeted with is a man in a pod. To say im confused is an understatement. I step aside and wait for the other occupants of the craft to exit before I can see if my source was right. And that's when I see her decked out in what I assume is a costume. I assume it inspires those who aren't used to fanfare like we both are. I notice her boy isn't with her, I was looking forward to meeting them both together. The dynamic is supposed to be flawless and obviously somebody forgot to mention that to the higher ups.

Thats when I notice who is with her. A tall, olive skinned, dark haired boy no older than 20 standing protectively next to her like a pet dog.

I go numb. He looks identical to the boy who haunts and mocks me in my dreams. I cringe at the thought of the parasite again and try to put his face out of my head.

I notice they are waiting for me to do something, seeing as I'm standing in front of them with my uniform and bags.

"Welcome to District 8, make yourselves at home" I say looking down the line at the ensemble in front of me.

The first thing I notice is grey eyes looking me up and down, looking for weaknesses and evaluating me. I've seen this look before and I don't like history repeating itself. I meet his calculating stare and let a small smile lift the corners of my mouth. His brow furrows and he steps forward.

"Who are you?" His attempt at intimidation is laughable as he walks up to me

"First things first 12, I answer to two people here. Number one, Commander Paylor and the Mockingjay. And number two step back before I snap your neck" I answer. My attempt at intimidation works, his hardened face facade crumbles for a second and I smile when it does. I turn to look at the braided young women behind him and smile. "Commander Paylor needs to speak with you at the medical centre. I assume your friends can help you find the way. I need to speak with Boggs over here" I say indicating the large black man standing next to her.

I watch them leave the landing area trailing behind the camera men and the gaudy lady who accompanies them. I turn my attention back to Boggs and ask the question I need answered before anything else.

"You been in contact with Haymitch in the trip over?" I ask

He looks at me and nods "We had confirmation from Coin what was coming this way before we landed"

"And she wants to die in the first fight she is in?" I ask incredulously "Last time I checked bows and arrows don't take down hovercraft"

His face betrays him and I realize what he hasn't told me.

"She has no idea what she's walking into does she?"

He just shakes his head and begins to walk the medical centre where his charge is. I sigh loudly and pick my things back up and walk towards the hovercraft and put my duffle in an empty alcove next to a seat. The case comes next and I flip the catches and open the lid and see what was salvaged from my gear.

I see my two knives and my shotgun looking back at me. The gun has seen better days since I was given it but it still does its job better than before. I strap the blades to my belt and sling the weapon over my shoulder and begin my long trek back to find where the Mockingjay has got to.

* * *

Explosions rock the earth and I can feel the ground shake beneath where I sit. I had managed to get to a safe place before the bombs hit, and as luck would have it the same idea must have crossed Boggs mind as well. I sit with my back to a wall and watch the people around me. I notice the group has lost the camera men and the women who was in fact their boss. The silence of the group was only broken when a bomb would hit and they were still falling, and wouldn't stop for a while.

I hear whisperings of conversation going on between the Mockingjay and 12 which is less of a conversation and more a harsh whispering.

"We need to get out of here and help" His voice is even similar to my nightmares

"And do what Gale? Get ourselves killed?" Her response is met with a low growl and even angrier response.

"I'm not going to sit here and do nothing"

"She's right you know". My voice breaks through the silence and I watch both of them stop arguing and look in my direction. I see him attempt to speak before I cut him off "You wouldn't last 5 minutes alone out there. You don't even know where in the district you are, how can you help against a flying machine that drops bombs and flies away?" I am rewarded with silence from her and a low growl from him.

"Want me to tell a story to pass the time?" I ask with a smile "I can guarantee it will quench the desire for blood you so fondly look for"

He turns to look at her and she shrugs and looks at me waiting for me to begin. He turns his gaze back to me and gestures me to start.

"You might want to sit down. Its a long story" I gesture to the floor in front of me.

"Well, my name is Garret Kael and I share a special bond with your Mockingjay" I say. She is no doubt confused and he looks downright murderous.

"And how is that?" She asks

"Not all victors are as famous as Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark" I say, I watch her expression shift from curious to thoughtful. She is trying to figure out where I'm from.

"You wouldn't recognize me from when I won. I won the 66th Games. From the look of me you would guess District 7 or maybe 9. I'm not from those Districts"

I'm cut off by his voice "Where are you from them?"

"District 1"

I see the flash of anger and hatred across his face not leave as he bares his teeth slightly and clenches his fists. Next to him she looks pensive and slightly shocked at best.

I catch a look in her male 'friends' eyes before I continue my story

"I know what you're thinking. District 1 is the capitols favorite child, why would they have rebel victors? Simple, I have no family. Never did, if you count an orphanage then I guess you can say I did."

"Being from an orphanage I knew how important family was. And when I was 18 I volunteered to save a 12 year old girl from being reaped, much like you did. But she wasn't family. I did it because why should I live and her family suffer? So I volunteered and was sent into the 66th Hunger Games"

"I'm going to skip the boring parts and get to what is important. During the first night of the arena I slit the throats of all the tributes from Districts 1, 2 and 4. I was the only 'Career' in the game which evened the playing field. None of those kids stood a chance against the 6 of us, but they stood one with just me"

"After a couple of days I woke up to both District 12 tributes standing over me arguing what to do with me. The male wanted me dead, whereas his partner just wanted to leave me. They both remind me of you" The looks they give me are typical.

"She looked like you. Dark hair, olive skin and rather skinny. But she had a heart and knew a fair fight and wanted to keep it fair. He looked like you. A tall exact replica of you. He would look for any weakness and attempt to use it against the person in front of him. The look in his eyes is the same that haunts me to this day. It also resembles yours when you're angry. But hopefully unlike him you don't stab your District partner in the chest for not agreeing with you"

"It's safe to say that I killed him. I took his head off with a sword. Clean cut, not brutal like a regular kill. A civilized kill you could say. He didn't feel a thing"

I take a deep breath and continue

"It was a mercy what I did to him. His partner was in pain until she died. I stayed with her until she died. I asked her about her family and friends. Asked what her boyfriend was called to get a smile out of her. She died in the night with her head rested in my lap and my hand in hers"

"Every night I see those images in my head. Her dying in my arms and him stabbing her in front of me. His face taunts me in my dreams and there is nothing I can do about it"

I pause and collect myself. I notice a blinking red light and the cameraman behind them and compose myself for the rest of the story.

"As you can tell, I won my games and came home to a empty house full of things I knew nothing about and a title which meant nothing to me. Over the years I watched tributes kill and win but what makes it worse was watching tributes from the same district stabbing each over in the back, until you graced my screen" I say pointing at her.

"Watching you risk suicide for him was what we needed. I got into contact with Haymitch and worked from inside 1 to get information to him and the rebellion for when the time comes. As you can guess when the quell was announced our rebel victors along with my wife were reaped alongside the unsuspecting ones. My job was easy from there. Pack up and make my way here. And since the arena collapse I have been waiting for transport to 13 where I can share my intel with those in charge"

I'm met with silence. Pure pin dropping silence. The bombs outside have stopped and the looks im getting from my impromptu audience I guess they have also realized it as well, as we begin to gather up our gear I'm met with grey eyes and a dark braid.

"Your wife was in the arena?" she asks. I nod

"Who was she?"

I shake my head "I'll tell you when we get to 13"

-x-

The hovercraft ride is as smooth as I thought it would be. It is a much better mode of travel than the train. The ride back has been quiet and somber since we found the remains of the hospital after the bombing. I've seen worse but you can tell this is the first real glimpse of war her eyes have witnessed, the scattered bodies strewn about, some missing limbs just laying there while others looked for survivors in the rubble. We didn't stay longer than needed.

Katniss keeps looking at me from across the hovercraft. She has been watching me since we sat down, drowning out conversations and her friend next to her. She's caught up in her own head and no amount of silence can help. The look is synonymous with victors. Long lapses of time where you stare off into memories.

A shrill ringing on my belt breaks her stare as I bring the radio to my ear. The message repeats twice in my ear and its great to hear a semi-friendly voice.

"I'll make sure she is at the dock waiting with me. I'll make up some excuse"

A smile eases my features as I think about meeting her since she left for her District before the quell. Katniss notices my smile and slowly makes her way over to me and sits in the seat next to mine and slowly examines the weapon on my lap.

"What's got you so happy?"

"Message from Haymitch" I tell her

"What did it say?"

"Just what's going to happen when I get to 13. Meetings, Hot food and a bed are worth smiling over" I lie to her

She just nods and stares at her feet and the silence is back. I almost zone out when she speaks up again "What is she like?"

"Who? My wife?" I ask

She just nods and looks at me again

"Funny, loyal and smart. So incredibly smart it puts most to shame. Sometimes when she sleeps she talks. Once she wondered what clouds tasted like" I break into a huge smile "And once she nearly burnt down my victors home with her cooking"

"And the look she gives me" Her brow furrows "You know what I'm talking about. Your boy looks at you the same. It's how I knew what you two had wasn't a strategy at the end. She looks at me like I'm more important than life itself and you know exactly how it feels" She just nods and a faint smile graces her face " And she calls me out on all my shit. But what is the best is fiercely she cares for others, its what drew me to her"

For the rest of the trip back I tell her stories about her without giving anything away. She laughs at the story of how she nearly killed me with scissors, and how she ate raw chicken thinking it was cooked. It feels good to talk about her with somebody who will just listen and not pry when it isn't needed. It's what sets District born from Capitolites, that sense of keeping what's yours private unless you're willing to share.

As we approach District 13 we start to gather what we took with us and prep for landing. As I buckle myself in I take the chain off my neck and hold the two rings on it. I stare at them and count down the minuets until I can hold her again. Katniss looks at them, then to me with her unanswered question.

"If she wore the ring it would of gave it away. Jewelry is common in District 1" I explain

I feel the weight shift and with a thump we land of solid ground after a couple of excruciating minuets waiting to land. The ramp lowers and men in grey uniforms rush in and take out all the big pieces of equipment in front of the doors. After they are done we unbuckle and pick up our bags. I grab Katniss by the wrist and stop her before she departs.

She looks up at me with wide eyes "I know what you're thinking. Here is my free piece of advice from a married man. Whatever it is you're meant to do now, don't. Go find your boy and hold him close and don't leave your room until it is absolutely necessary, after what you saw today you need some good and that boy you have is a whole lot of it"

She smiles at me and nods. We begin to walk out of the hovercraft before she stops me and asks the same question again.

"Who was she, your wife I mean"

"Let's go meet her, shall we" Her brow furrows and confusion washes over her before she follows me out of the hovercraft.

I see her before she sees me. Her short brown hair has grown since I last saw her. The grey uniform does nothing to hide who she is. Currently she has her back to me and is talking to Haymitch while he smiles down at her. His eyes meet mine and his smile grows as he continues to look over her head at me. She notices and turns to see what he is staring at.

Her eyes meet mine. Brown and Green staring at each over. Her face breaks off into a giant smile before she starts running at me with everything she has. I drop my bags and catch her as she flings herself at me with more force than her small body should be able to produce sending both of us tumbling. I cradle her face and kiss her hard. We break apart and look at each over.

"Where is my ring?" She deadpans

I hand her the chain with her ring on it and smile at her. She takes the ring off the chain and puts the ring on her finger. She smiles at me and kisses me again before standing up, using me to push herself off the ground. She turns to look at me and catches Katniss's eyes.

"Hey Brainless. Meet my husband. Now excuse us while find a empty room and ruin it, I haven't seen him in a long time and a woman has needs." she laughs at Katniss's expression and drags me behind her into the hallways of District 13.

* * *

**A.N: So what did you think?**

**I know I changed some big things in this fic (Johanna and Peeta escaping the area with the others being one of them) but I felt like it made it a little happier.**

**This is my first use of an OC as well, I just wanted Johanna to have somebody for herself, she gets sidelined by the couples in the books and I felt like she should have someone too.**

**Gale is a hard character to write, so I apologize if you hated the way I wrote him.**

**If you enjoyed this than I thank you.**


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